Kolkata: The Bengal govt is going to host Rakhi Bandhan on Monday in a grand way and it will be celebrated as Sanskriti Divas. The main programme will be held at Netaji Indoor Stadium to showcase inter-religious bonding and oppose division of Bengal. Sanskriti Divas will be observed in 649 places across Bengal, including 119 municipalities, seven municipal corporations and 144 wards of Kolkata.Sports and power minister Aroop Biswas will be the chief guest at the programme.
For the past few years, Rakhi Bandhan had been held amid much fanfare. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the day was also used to distribute masks to the citizens instead of rakhis. This time, the state-owned Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation has already procured 6.6 lakh rakhis from self-help groups and various cooperatives. An official said that they collected all rakhis for distribution by Aug 10 to different districts.
The govt this time wants to showcase Rakhi Bandhan day to unite the people of Bengal against any division.
For this, the state youth affairs department had been asked to make the best possible arrangements. All the municipalities and panchayats had been asked to be involved in the show and to thwart any move of the proposed split of Bengal.